Peoplebuilding at Hemel was commissioned by the team responsible for Stockley Park and Chiswick Park. Close to the M1 motorway, this was the site of the first purpose-built factory in Hemel Hempstead, a post-war new town. The location required an elegant but extremely cost effective solution. To enhance the quality of the setting, a number of public amenities were planned, to set it apart from traditional business parks. The gently sloping site is the gateway to Hemel's business district.
Six four-storey buildings open onto a formal boulevard, with a leisure club, café and other centralised facilities surrounded by generous informal landscaping. Each building is oriented north/south, with mechanically activated brise soleil protecting the west, south and east elevations. These arrays of 'translucent' perforated aluminium louvres are controlled by the building management systems that track the sun's path. Views from fully glazed façades are achieved throughout, with controlled protection from direct sunlight, yet because of the layered facades occupants enjoy considerable privacy.